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Hungary
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Andrea Kimi Antonelli says there are times he would like to be unrecognised as his fame grows in Formula 1. Antonelli said: "For sure there are times where you would like not to be recognised when you do certain things, when you go for dinner. But that's also part of being an athlete. There are times where I would like to be unrecognised. At the same time, I know it's part of it, and I'm very happy this way."
The current forecast for the Hungarian Grand Prix points to a mostly dry weekend, with hot conditions and rising track temperatures. Friday is set to be dry with a 0% chance of rain and air temperatures up to 26°C, while Saturday also looks dry (0% chance of rain) with a high of 29°C and track temperatures potentially reaching 48-50°C. Sundayâs race is forecast to be warmer still, with air temperatures up to 32°C and a 40% chance of rain after 1500, though the forecast suggests any heavier precipitation is more likely to arrive after the grand prix.
Pirelli will supply the C3, C4 and C5 compounds for the Hungarian Grand Prix at the Hungaroring, the softest selection in its range.
Toto Wolff says Mercedes will try to restore George Russellâs optimism after the driver said he felt ânumbâ to disappointment following his lap-one retirement at the Belgian Grand Prix. Wolff said: "You have to understand that a driver is very emotional when these situations happen. But on the other side, as a Formula One driver, you're part of a very elite group. I think it's quite an honour to drive a Mercedes. Sometimes we let ourselves down, and it's not just the driver, but it's also us. So, I hope the numb feeling goes away. We will try to help to recreate optimism and positivity."
Charles Leclerc says it is difficult to predict whether Ferrari will be strong at the Hungarian Grand Prix, after expectations heading into Monaco did not match the teamâs performance once it arrived. Leclerc said: "We could be, but we could also not be, and we'll never know until we go there. I think it's very difficult to predict the level of performance of every team. I recall very well what the overall feeling was before Monaco, and we arrived in Monaco and were underperforming compared to what everybody thought we would. We need to be cautious. We just need to do our homework, just like we do at every different track."
Lewis Hamilton says he takes full responsibility for finishing fourth at the Belgian Grand Prix, saying his crash in final practice affected the balance of his rebuilt Ferrari and led to a âdomino effectâ that left him out of position. Hamilton said: "I don't count myself unlucky. I think about my mistake that I made yesterday. So, I take full responsibility really for the fourth place I ended up getting because I damaged the car. Then when they rebuilt the car, they missed something on the suspension. The balance was completely different. So that meant I was probably a good couple of tenths, maybe three tenths slower than I should have been in qualifying."
Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies says the team will have a fix ready in Budapest for its problematic "Macarena" rear wing after tracing its failures to two separate mechanical issues. Mekies said: "It was mechanical, and it was two different things. So two different mechanical issues. We will have a fix for Budapest."
Max Verstappen says Red Bull must âcarry onâ and âfind new talentâ as the team continues to go through significant staff turnover. Verstappen said: "People come and go. I think that's sometimes also part of the process. Sometimes you want people to stay, potentially, yes, but I think that's just how life is and how sport is as well. You just have to carry on and try to find new talent. That's what you also look at all the time, and that's what we do."
McLaren senior director, racing Randy Singh said the teamâs MCL40 will run an upgrade package at this weekendâs Hungarian Grand Prix, with the new parts to be assessed during practice at the Hungaroring. Singh said: "We have an upgrade package arriving this weekend too, and in such a competitive season every development is important so it will be great to gather further understanding on how those parts perform throughout Free Practice. Our aim is to maximise everything we have available, carry positive momentum into the shutdown and put ourselves in the strongest possible position for the second half of the championship."
F1 drivers will meet the FIA during the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend for further talks on stewarding and driving standards, with last weekendâs Belgian Grand Prix decisions involving Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton set to be on the agenda, PlanetF1.com reports. Leclerc was cleared after contact with Oscar Piastri while defending, while Hamilton received a time penalty for an opening-lap clash with George Russell. The meeting had already been scheduled, but is now expected to have a renewed focus following criticism of how the Spa incidents were handled.
Alan Permane says Liam Lawson âcertainly wasnât the same guyâ when he returned to Racing Bulls after being sent back from Red Bull, but that he regained his confidence with time and support from the team. Permane said: "We obviously knew him from the year before, we could tell he certainly wasn't the same guy, and I don't want to say we rebuilt him because that's a little bit dramatic, but we just supported and helped him where we could. He works incredibly hard and he works incredibly well with his engineering team, and he did it. We're there to help him, but he made a turnaround."
Lewis Hamilton says he has to âcome correctâ in Budapest and fight for victory at the Hungarian Grand Prix after a difficult weekend at Spa-Francorchamps. Hamilton said: "I'm hoping we can be [competitive]. Well, firstly, I need to come correct next week and make sure I deliver the way I know I can deliver in Budapest. We have to come and fight for that win."
Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies says the team is getting calls from âgood driversâ about potential future seats, as he insists Red Bullâs focus is on making the car quicker to keep Max Verstappen amid uncertainty over his future beyond this season. Mekies said: "It's working in both directions. It's completely natural Max gets called from everyone because he's the best driver in the world and, equally, if you are a top team, you are going to get calls from many of these good drivers around as well. The full focus is to get that car as fast as it can, then you will keep your best driver in the world."
Aston Martin chief trackside officer Mike Krack says the team is âcounting the daysâ until an extensive upgrade package arrives for the Hungarian Grand Prix. Mike Krack said: "It's quite extensive. The main things are obviously aerodynamic and weight, and to achieve that you have to do a lot of things, and everything has been achieved that we wanted. Again, it's part of a large package that we will get, and we're counting the days."
Toto Wolff says Mercedes have âlost points through self-inflicted issuesâ and need to improve their execution, despite leading both championships heading into this weekendâs Hungarian Grand Prix. Wolff said: "We have shown at every race so far that the performance is there. We have not converted enough of that potential into results though. We have lost points through self-inflicted issues, and we know we need to improve. The team is working flat out to understand the problems, fix them, and ensure we are giving both drivers the tools they need to maximise every weekend."
Liam Lawson says Racing Bullsâ latest upgrade looks âvery positiveâ after seeing team-mate Arvid Lindblad run it at the Belgian Grand Prix, with Lawson set to have it on his car for the Hungarian Grand Prix. Lawson said: "Yeah, I mean, obviously he's been very fast this weekend, so it's very positive. Everything that we've been bringing, all the team's been sort of developing, has been working. So yeah, very excited for [the Hungarian Grand Prix]."
Aston Martin trackside chief Mike Krack said the â$1 million questionâ for the team is whether it can get enough parts ready in time for its â2.0â upgrade package to run at this weekendâs Hungarian Grand Prix. Mike Krack said: "This is the $1 million question. Everybody is working flat out to get the parts, to get the cars ready. It is a big undertaking if you decide to do it like this, because you always try to push the deadlines as far as you can. So, it's a big effort going on at the AMRTC at the moment, and I'm a positive thinker, so I think we will have two cars ready to go. Now, I don't think we will have five spares of each, to be honest."
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